Page 23 - Gnosis volume 2

16

dent can abandon his work at any moment to return to his secular interests. He will,

however, remain "intoxicated", for, participating in esoteric work progressively makes

the scales fall from his eyes. The colours of the external world take on a faded aspect,
and his previous scale of values is shaken to the core. — .

The freedom of choice and initiative demanded of the seeker involves a certain

danger; that of taking the false for the true, the impure for the pure, and falling into the
snare of the search for supernatural "powers", etc. However, an error committed by a

pure and fervent heart, consequently, a sincere error, is not a mortal danger in itself.

For he will be warned in time even if he persists in his error. The case of St. Paul,

converted on the road to Damascus, provides us with a probative example.

The real danger that can lead us to mortal sin, that is, a definite failure, manifests
itself when an impure heart tries to utilize supernatural psychic forces for selfish ends.

This is a quagmire from which there is no escape.

*
* *

The latter point demands an explanation.

A curious phenomenon often takes place, in the human mind with regards to
generally hermetic theories and facts belonging to the esoteric domain. We have

pointed it out already but it is worth the trouble to re-examine it under a different

aspect.

In matters regarding positive science, pure, moral,